Saturday’s Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Missoula will be a family affair for Simarron (Schildt) Robertson.

To this day, her family always has been a constant source of inspiration and pride.

“My dad (Pat) was one of the driving forces for me,” said the former Browning High and Montana Lady Griz star. “He would always tell me, ‘Somewhere there is somebody practicing.’ I was very determined. I always wanted to play for the Lady Griz.”

Simarron, who led the Browning girls to the only state championship in program history and then played key roles on four excellent Lady Griz teams, is among several Native American stars to join the Montana Indian Hall of Fame.

The banquet is Saturday night from 6-9 at the University Center Ballroom, Suite 115, at the University of Montana in Missoula.

“It’s so exciting,” said Simarron, whose husband is Great Falls native Jason Robertson. “Not only for me, but because I’ve got two uncles, one on my Dad’s side and one on my Mom’s, also being honored. They were part of a state championship team in Browning (1980, coached by Jim Johnson and Don Wetzel, Sr.).”

Wetzel, the former fantastic hoop star from Cut Bank and the University of Montana, founded the Hall of Fame more than a decade ago. Wetzel and his son Donnie Wetzel, Jr., are the organizers of the enterprise.

The family of Simarron and Jason Robertson includes, from left, Cleveland, Riahna, Rosie and Jaxon. Simarron (Schildt) is being inducted into the Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend in Missoula.(Photo: Sierra Schildt)

This year’s inductees include standouts from many sports. In addition, the HOF will honor Shelby radio station KSEN, specifically Jerry Black, Bob Norris and Mark Daniels, for a longtime commitment to sports coverage.

In addition, the 1980 Browning championship team will be honored, a group that includes Simarron’s uncles, Ed Schildt and Russ Rink, and Cliff Bull Calf, Bernard St. Goddard, Roland Kennerly, Beaver Spearson, Gordon Lee, Leland LaPier, Lyle St. Goddard, Wayne Racine, Floyd Cross Guns, George Woodward, Wilford Fish, and managers Arnold Long Time Sleeping and Kenneth Old Person.

Simarron Schildt grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in East Glacier and was on the 1996 Browning High team coached by Ray Croff and Ray Augare that won the Class A state championship with an overtime victory over Dillon.

Simarron, who was a 4.0 student and valedictorian of her senior class, then became the second Native American to play basketball for the Lady Griz, following in the footsteps of Malia Kipp of Browning.

“Malia was a really big inspiration for me,” Simarron said. “Just seeing her do it made it more possible that I could. I had it set in my mind that that’s what I was going to do. I thought about it for years

“Many times when I went to practice, that was the thought that was driving me - that and my Dad.”

A slender 6-foot forward, Simarron was tough around the basket.

“She cleaned up on the offensive glass,” said former Lady Griz teammate Krista Redpath, an all-time great at Great Falls High who lives in Missoula and is a sports broadcaster for the SWX TV Network. “She really had a knack for finding the ball.”

There was something else that made Simarron special to play alongside.

“Simarron was a great teammate, always very passionate about the success of our team,” Redpath said. “She was one of those players who always put the team first.”

Redpath, who is a few years older, had a sparkling Lady Griz career. As a true freshman at UM, Simarron was her backup.

“She was willing to play any role and always had a team-first attitude,” Redpath said. “She came in as a freshman and gave us good minutes right away.”

Both Pat Schildt and Simarron’s mother, Roslyn, live in East Glacier. Simarron and her husband have a young family that includes sons Jaxon, 6, and Cleveland, and daughters Riahna, 3, and Rosie. Cleveland and Rosie are twins who will turn a year old in about a week.

Simarron’s father is also in the Montana Indiana Hall of Fame, having been a part of the Browning All-Stars, a National Indian Activities Association championship squad in 1975.

“Dad still plays basketball, which is cool,” Simarron said. “He plays every year in a 65-and-older tournament.”

Pat Schildt was in the oil and gas business for years in the Browning area. Now he owns property near the Canadian border and has what is called the world’s largest white buffalo herd. He plans soon to make his property a tourist attraction.

“Dad’s very passionate about the buffalo,” Simarron said. “They’re pretty rare and very special. It’s pretty cool to see them.”

Simarron said her basketball career provided many thrills. Saturday’s banquet will be another one.

“I’ve been looking through some old newspaper articles and it’s brought back some good memories,” she said. “It’s made me remember how much I loved basketball and how much it contributed to my life.”

She said the high school state championship remains a highlight.

“It was definitely a big moment,” she said. “In college there’s not really a defining moment that sticks out. I just kind of remember how amazing my coach (Robin Selvig) was and how great my teammates were. I just loved all of them.

“Playing college basketball was such a great experience. It was really hard, don’t get me wrong, I mean, it’s difficult to play college basketball, but it was such a great learning experience.”